Rainbow Dash and the Daring Do Double Dare
My Little Pony: Rainbow Dash and the Daring Do Double Dare by G. M. Berrow is the fourth book in a series of chapter books published by Little, Brown and Company and the third book in a series starring the main cast. The story involves Rainbow Dash being dared to do a series of challenges after being inspired by Daring Do. Production The book includes a thick page containing an exclusive giant Enterplay trading card, a My Little Pony Friendship is Magic standee of Rainbow Dash. On March 20, 2013, Berrow asked on Twitter who she was writing about on that day; artist Dusty Rhoades correctly guessed Rainbow Dash. Summary The Golden Oak Library Society Rainbow Dash is first in line at the midnight release party for Daring Do and the Volcano of Destiny, and she can barely contain her excitement. During the party, Applejack provides treats and Pinkie Pie helps the bookstore owner with Daring Do-themed store displays. One minute before the store opens, Rainbow Dash excites the crowd by flying up and swooping into the store with an aerial trick just as the front door opens. Upon toppling the store owner's displays, Rainbow pays for the new book and zips out. The next day, Rainbow walks with Twilight Sparkle through Ponyville Park and talks at length about the new Daring Do book, much to the frustration of Twilight who hasn't finished the book yet and is cautious of spoilers. As Twilight sits down to read at her leisure, Rainbow flies off in search of someone to talk with about the book. Fluttershy appears with a family of ducklings, and Twilight tells her of Rainbow Dash's dilemma. They decide to form a Daring Do book club so ponies, especially Rainbow, can meet and discuss the books as much as they please. Rainbow Dash, who had been listening to their conversation, approves of the idea. A few days later, the book club holds its first meeting at the Golden Oak Library, with numerous ponies and Daring Do fans in attendance. Twilight calls the meeting to order and outlines the evening's agenda, but Rainbow Dash would rather talk about the new book's action sequences. A pony named Wild Fire speaks up and questions the realisticness of Daring Do's stunts, doubting that anyone could do them in real life. Rainbow is so sure they could be done that she challenges anyone to dare her to do anything Daring Do could do. Wild Fire not only dares Rainbow Dash—she double dares her. Daring Dash The next day, a large scoreboard is set up in the town square for ponies to write down dares for Rainbow Dash to do. Despite her friends' concerns, Rainbow—now calling herself "Daring Dash"—spends the entire day doing various stunts for her fans, including tightrope-walking across Ghastly Gorge, going into an abandoned barn filled with bats, and swimming to the bottom of Froggy Bottom Bogg. Even Applejack gets in on the fun, daring Rainbow Dash to eat a spicy-hot chili pepper (her least favorite food). Believing the situation to be out of control, Rainbow's friends try to convince her to stop before her dares put her in danger, but Rainbow enjoys the attention too much. By the following day, word of "Daring Dash"'s exploits reaches so far that Rainbow has twice as many fans as before, all waiting to see what dare she does next. At the center of the crowd, Rainbow Dash spots Zecora, who has come to Ponyville in search of "the pony who has proved bravest". She informs the ponies that an ancient relic called the Half-Gilded Horseshoe has been stolen. According to Twilight, the Half-Gilded Horseshoe is rumored to be a key to a treasure vault called the Spirit Circle. If the Spirit Circle is opened, an army of vengeful ghosts will be unleashed upon Equestria. Excited at the thought of grand adventure, "Daring Dash" takes it upon herself to retrieve the Half-Gilded Horseshoe. Enter the Everfree Rainbow Dash's friends equip her for the journey ahead, and Twilight tells her how to find the Spirit Circle at a place called the Dual Stronghold. Despite their insistence that they accompany her, Rainbow is determined to see the quest through by herself. Her friends see her off with various supplies: a rope from Applejack, a teddy bear from Fluttershy, some cupcakes from Pinkie Pie, horseshoes from Rarity, and a Sapphire Stone bookmark from Twilight. With that, she flies off into the Everfree Forest. As soon as she's out of sight, the rest of the Mane Six take off after her. During her trek through the forest, Rainbow Dash uses Pinkie Pie's cupcakes to appease a pack of Colossa-gators and Applejack's rope to free herself from a pit of quicksand. Led through the forest by a strange red smoke, she starts to lose her way and regrets not taking her friends along with her. She briefly doubts herself and holds Fluttershy's teddy bear, but a voice on the wind encourages her to keep going. When she takes out Twilight's bookmark and wishes to be at the Dual Stronghold, a magic imbued within the bookmark teleports her to her destination: the Castle of the Two Sisters. There, she follows the red smoke from earlier through the castle and into a grassy clearing, where an evil zebra named Braze has Rainbow's friends held captive. He explains to Rainbow that the Spirit Circle will only open for the pony who can perform a sonic rainboom and tells her to open the door in exchange for her friends. Rainbow takes the Half-Gilded Horseshoe to the Spirit Circle's stone door. While Pinkie Pie distracts Braze, Rainbow switches the Half-Gilded Horseshoe with one of the plain horseshoes Rarity gave her. She inserts the horseshoe in the door, and Braze is shocked when it doesn't open. Rainbow takes advantage of his agitation to free her friends, but Twilight unintentionally reveals Rainbow's deception. Enraged, Braze attempts to take the Half-Gilded Horseshoe back, but Rainbow manages to keep it out of his hooves long enough for the Spirit Circle's door to disappear. Braze despairs over the loss of his treasure, and the Mane Six make their getaway, with Rainbow thanking her friends for their handy gifts. The Bravest Thing Some time later, in Cheerilee's classroom, the Cutie Mark Crusaders brag to their classmates about how their sisters and Rainbow Dash defeated Braze. Cheerilee calms the students down and welcomes guest speaker Rainbow Dash. Rainbow tells the students that it may seem cool to be brave and daring, but sometimes the bravest thing a pony can do is accept help from friends, even when they don't think they needs it. She goes on to regale the young ponies with stories of her adventure. Quotes :Applejack: Get yer Apple Fritters... of Destiny! Fresh Caramel Apples... of Doom? :Rainbow Dash: Hey, Applejack? Uh... what are you doing? :Applejack: Figured I'd try to make my treats from Sweet Apple Acres sound as Daring Do as I could. Apple Pie of Fate? :Rainbow Dash: And then what about the part where Daring swooped through the massive barricade the henchponies had constructed?! I couldn't believe she made it! Even though they were blocking the path to the secret stone that unlocked the hidden gates that led to the road to the Volcano of Destiny! :Twilight Sparkle: Spoiler alert! La, la, la...! :Wild Fire: I like Daring Do as much as the next pony, but do you really think that all those daring things she does are realistic? No way could a pony ever really do them in real life! :Rainbow Dash: I... I dare anypony here to dare me to do anything Daring Do could do! :Wild Fire: And I... dare you to do so! No—I double dare you! :Twilight Sparkle: I liked this whole Daring Do thing better when it was just about reading books. :Pony #1: I'm gonna dare Daring Dash to hoof-wrestle with Snowflake—the strongest Pegasus in Cloudsdale! :Pony #2: Well, I'm gonna dare her to fight a manticore! With her bare hooves! :Pony #3: How about daring her to get a hooficure? :Braze: Prepare yourself to be amazed! For you are graced by the presence of Braze! :Braze: You may have won this time, Daring Dash ... But I will be back to claim my stash! And when the door is back anew... I will not stop till I find you! :Apple Bloom: My big sister Applejack was there when Daring Dash defeated the evil zebra, Braze! :Sweetie Belle: And so was mine! :Scootaloo: Well, I knew Rainbow Dash before she became Daring Dash! :Rainbow Dash: Now who wants to hear a play-by-play of how I was wing-deep in quicksand and used a lasso to pull myself out?! References